Artificial fuel.



. ALEXANDER H. EGE, OF MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLYANIA.

ARTIFICIAL FUEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2,1909.

' Application filed November 8, 1907. Serial No. 401,321.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER H. Eon,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at l Mcchanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland, State of Pennsylvanim have invented certain new and useful lin n'ovements in Artificial Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

v The object of this invention is to produce 19 a fuel having as a base alcohol and coal dust, which shall be suitable for handling,

and which shall have great heat producing pro )erties.

uel made in accordance with my inven 5 tion consists of a [more or less friable compound of a consistencv somewhat less than that of semi-pulverized bituminous coal, and

it is very inflammable. The alcohol used in making. the fuel is preferably denatured 2 alcohol on account of its cheapness, and this is mixed with the fine'powder of coal which is known as coal dust, coa-l slack or screenings; -The coal dustmay be that from anthracite, bituminous or lignite coal, or from peat. Y Y 1 While the basic elements of my fuel are coal dust and alcohol 1 find it advisable to add other ingredients to adapt the fuel to special uses andto secure certain desirable 'qualities which fitit for those uses. The proportions of the ingredients furthermore vary witl'iiircertain limits, according to the particularqualities that are necessary for the particular use desired.

When mixed in the proportions of i parts of coaldustto 1 art otalcohol my fuel is in such form as to e adapted for transportation,being sulliciently solid for that purpose. When however it is intended for use in the. 40 immediate neighborhood of the place of 'manufacture the'ingredients may be c0n1- bined in the proportions 2 to 1.- When it desired to solidify the n'iixture into lumps for more readytransportation to a distance, 1- .45 add a binder thereto consisting of cement or a flour paste derived from the ground grain of wheat, rye, corn, rice or other starch producing material. In such case the pasty consistene of the flour is produced bymixing so it with the alcohol which is to be used more or less diluted, and this is done before mixing the alcohol with the coal dust. The com osition after being mixed is pressed into bloccs or lumps andis dried. I find a good proportion in this caseto be 1 part of alcohol, 1 offlour and 4 parts of coal dust. The

material does not burn so rapidly when the Hour or cement is mixedtherowith, as above stated, but this addition secures a more solid article which may be more easily shipped. ln case I require a still more solid com ound, but somewhat diminished combustibility, I substitute for my flour paste that of cement, either hydraulic or Portland, with anaddition of water, observing the'proportions of 1 part cement, 2 partsof water,

2 parts of alcohol, and 5 parts of coal dust.

I may use plaster of paris or other calcium salts asthe hardening cement, and I find that such material .containing sulfur has special advantages. in this case '1 use about 20 per cent. alcohol, 70 per cent. coal dust, 5

per cent. plaster of paris, and 5 percent.

water.

Should I wish to increase the degree of heat as well as lastin qualitiesof my fuel in the plastic state I at d petroleum to my mixture of alcohol and. coaldust in the followim pro portions, 1 part of oil, 2 parts'of alcohol, and 8 parts ofcoal dust. As however in this case there is the tendency of the liquids to exude from the mixture before the degree of heat is suiiicient to consume the entire mixture, I also mix therewith sawdust which readily absorbs the excess or exudation. The solid ity of the blocks or briquets aforementioned will be in proportion to the pressure applied, which in turn will also be determined or necessitated by the distance to which the blocks or bricks are to be transported. If it be proposed to burn the material near the place of manufa'cture, the

pro ortion of binder or bond of union, as

\gel as pressure,'niay be reduced, and hence the expense of production w ll to that degree be also reduced.

In cases where I use petroleum as above indicated, I prefer to use crude petroleum, and it will ,be understood that its addition increases the plasticity of the mixture, and in this instance I do not use cement but flour as a'binder. The addition of sawdust by reason of its absorbent qualities aids in solidifying the material and renders it d'nnccessary to use so much flour or binding. Where petroleum is omitted and cement is used, or cement mixed with comiiion clay, the binder is not combustible and this retards to a certain extent the combustion of the fuel produced, but on the other hand I secure the advantage of having a fuel which is more solid thife lare many'casesin itis yet ha ieare other cases in...whichthe asti'fcf state preferable, and in such iafies'j vreduce the percentage of cement, or pmif'the cement entirely and'-mix;with the said'twoprime elementsja reduced of. common clay to the, ,W does not reduce materially thefdes iredv rate". :Q iii m s ;-It will be clear from what has been said above that my fuel may be manufactured at one point and shipped to various points 321mm it is 'tobe used, or on the other hand e materials which are to enter into it may be shipped and the fuel actually manufactured at the place where it is to be used. It may be easily made in the form for immediate use, and for this reason my combination of ingredients has special advantages.

In view-of the fact that the whole combination which forms my fuel tends to absorb moisture I may mix with the material what is known in the trade as japan, which is a widely known drier forpaints and oils, and which is generally known as a mixture of shellac or other resin, metallic oxide, and t entine. Insteadof mixing thismaterial wit the constituents of the fuel I may coat the blocks or bricks with it, and it will be 1111? derstood that since japan is combustible it will add to the combustibility of the fuel as a. whole. This japan coating is impervious to moisture and thus protects the fuel. Instead of ja an'I may use pitch or artificial asphalt which is applied in meltedform to the bricks or blocks, and it thus forms a coating preventing the blocks'from absorbing moisture, and also preventing the alcohol contained in the blocks from eva crating. In this case I use about 20 parts 0 alcohol, 7 parts of coal dust, 8 parts of cement, and 2 parts of pitch. in 100 parts.

Where there is a scarcity of Portland cement I may use hydraulic cement or hydraulic lime either in its pure state or mixed with clay to reduce its cohesiveness to local .olfindividual demands. Where hydraulic cement is used the mixture would be about 1 part in 20, and where clay is added, about 1 amount during manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 63* 1 A solid ;fuel embod g a mixture of coal dust and 'alcohol-mixed'in substantially the proportions-offourto one. T.-

2. A fuel embodying substantially one artalcol 1 ol, 4 parts coal dust and 1 part starch paste;

3. A fuel embodyin alcohol, coal dust, starch paste and petro eum in substantially the proportions stated. *4! A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust,

starch paste, petroleum and common clay in substantially the proportions stated.

5. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, starch paste, petroleum, common clay and cement -in substantially the proportions stated.

6. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, petroleum, cement-arid common clay in. substantially the proportions stated,

7'. 'A' fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, cement and common-clay in substantially the proportions stated.

8. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, petroleum, cement, common clay and saw 9. A fuelembodying alco 01,- coal dust, sawdust, resin, petroleum, cement and common clay in substantially the proportions stated.

10. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust and hydraulic cement in substantially the proportions stated.,

11. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, cement and flour in substantially the proportions stated.

12. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, an inert substance and salt in substantially the proportions stated.

13. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust and Portland cement in substantially the proportions stated.

14. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, petroleum and flourf in substantially the proportions stated. I I

15. A fuel embodying alcohol, coal dust, cement and pitch in substantially the proportions stated.

16. A fuel embodying a mixture of coal dust and alcohol mixed in substantially the dust in substantially-the pro ortions stated.

proportionss ecified, and having a coating of combustib e water-proof material.

17 A fuel embodying a mixture of coal dust and alcohol mixed in substantially the of material known as japan.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature w. H. RICE,'

S. D. TAYLOR.

proportions specified, and having a coating 

